Sunny Day Flooding on the Coast

If you don’t believe in climate change and sea rise, maybe you might believe in shore subsidence. See this Washington Post article,  Anatomy of a flood at one North Carolina beach community. This is not flooding from hurricanes or major flood events (although that can happen) but just higher tides inundating homes and businesses when the sun is shinning brightly.

Time elapse cameras capture the flooded streets and shorelines that are inundated by saltwater entering the communities. This is not just a North Carolina problem; many areas of Florida are also experiencing the same ocean behavior as saltwater permeates the limestone rock and bubbles up in front yards of homes. Many other coastal states are having similar battles with the ocean. 

Eventually the only solution is “retreat” with the “as built” man-made infrastructure being overcome by nature. Until then, millions of dollars will be wasted on trying to contain the ocean.  Trying to do it in New York City has some valid thinking behind it, but beach homes, businesses, and resorts are not the same.